Car-coupling.



Patented 1an. 2, |900. W. F. RICHARDS.

GAR CUPLING.

{Application med Mar. 31, 1899.)

2 Shats-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

No. 040,225. Patented Jan. 2, |900.

W. F. RICHARDS.

CAR CUPLING.

Uuml ation filed Mar. 31, 1899.)

(No Wlodel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2` w Zz c] -Mfmeef d Mwyeffn WZ; Jy/JLMUnrrnn Srarns Partnr Ormes.

WILLARD F. ROIIARDS, OF BUFFALO, NEV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE GOULT)COUPLER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CAR==COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,225, dated January2, 1900. Application filed March 31,1899. Serial No. 711,272. (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ 107mm 'nmyconccrm Beit known that I, WILLARD F. RICHARDS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erieand State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inCar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a car-coupling of the Master Oar-Builders typein which the 1o coupling-knuckle is locked by a verticallymovable lockwhich is arranged transversely in the draw-head and connected by alongitudinal horizontal pivot to the knuckle side of the draw-head,while the free end or head x5 of the lock is arranged on the opposite orguard-arm side of the drawhead. A coupling of this kind is described andshown in my application for Letters Patent iiled February 2l, 1809,Serial No. 706,327, to which referzo ence is made for a more completedescription of such coupling.

The object of this invention is to provide the lock of this couplingwith an actuating device which is operated from the knuckle 2 5 side ofthe draw-head by an upward pull in order to render the coupling suitablefor use on cars with low platforms-for instance, iiat cars, in which theplatform is arranged so closely to the top of the draw-head that no 3oroom is available above the draw-head for an actuating device.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets, Figure l is afront view of a draw-head provided with my improvements,

the view being partly a front elevation and partly a verticalcross-section and showing the. lock in its lower locked position. Fig. 2is a similar view showing the lock raised. Fig. 3 is a perspective viewof the actuating- 4o lever of the lock. Fig. 4f. is a perspective viewot' the lock. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the draw-head, showing' thefront portion of the knuckle removed and the tailpiece of the lock incross-section. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical section of the lowerportion of the drawhcad in line G (5, Fig. l. Fig. 7isa horizontallongitudinal section through the draw-head in line 7 7, Fig. 1.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts 5o in the several figures.

A represents the chambered drawdlead,

which conforms to the well-known contour-l lines adopted by the MasterCar-Builders Association and which has at one side the usual guardarm a.B represents the coupL 55 ling-knuckle, which is pivoted to the oppositeside of the draw-head and which is composed,

as usual, of the coupling-ears h, hub h, and tailpiece b2.

O represents the lock, which engages with 6o the tailpiece h2 of theknuckle for retaining the latter in its closed position. The lock isarranged transversely in the draw-head and pivoted in the chamberthereof, on the knuckle side, bya longitudinalhorizontal bolt or pin D,so that the head c of the lock, which hooks over the tailpiece of theknuckle, reaches over to the guard-arm side of the chamber and iscapable of swinging vertically in the same. 7o

E represents the kicking-lever or kicker whereby the knuckle isautomatically thrown into its open position when released by the lock.This kicking-lever may be operated in various ways-for instance, by aspring device similar to that which is shown in Letters Patent of theUnited States No. 554,310, granted to me February 1l, 1896, or, as shownin the drawings, by a nose c", which is formed on the upper side of thelock in such a posi- 8o tion that it strikes the rear arm of thekicking-lever in the act of fully raising the lock, and so swings thelever forwardly and opens the knuckle.

F represents a friction-shoe which may be used in the lock for holdingthe same more securely against accidental upward movement. The shoe ispivoted in a recess in the head of the lock and bears against theadjacent inner side of the draw-head when the 9o lock is in its lowerposition.

The lock is provided on its l'ear side with a depending stiffening ribor web G, which terminates below the pivotal portion or hub of the lockin an actuating heel or arm g.

Il represents the actuatingdever whereby the lock is raised forreleasing the knuckle. This lever is arranged transversely andvertically underneath the pivotal portion or hub of the lock and ispivoted on a longitudinal roo pivot t'. The short arm 7a of this leverpro jects upwardly and bears with its inner inclined face against theouter side of the heel g of the lock, while the long arm h of the leverprojects outwardly through an opening 7c in the knuckle side of thedraw-head and is connected by an upwardly-extending operatingchain Zwith an operating-lever L. The latter is mounted on the inner end of ahorizontal rockshaft m, which is arranged on the knuckle side of thedraw-head. This shaft is operated at its outer end by any suitablemeans.

By raising the outerarm h of the actuatinglever H its inner arm h isswung inwardly and by pressing against the heel of the lock swings thelatter upwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, thereby releasing the knuckle. Uponreleasing the actuating-lever H the overhanging Weight of the head ofthe lock returns the latter and the actuating-lever to their formerpositions.

I claim as my invention 35 Witness my hand this 24th day of MarchiWILLARD F. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

JNO. J. BONNER, ELLA R. DEAN.

